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The Everton faithful have been witnessing all sorts of ups and downs at Goodison Park since 1892 and the fans have taken to Twitter recently to discuss what goals have a special place in their hearts.

With the club intending to move away from Goodison Park after 127 historic years at the ground, this walk down memory lane has really got the fans out in numbers to debate which goal was indeed the best-ever at the home of the Blues.

We have seen the insane moments of Tim Howard scoring against Bolton, to the magic of Mikel Arteta’s belter against Fiorentina. There has then been the memorable moments in Merseyside derbies, such as Tim Cahill and Arteta’s strikes in 2010, to Andy King’s winner in 1978.

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The Toffees have never been relegated out of the Premier League, and some fans have alluded to Barry Horne’s famous goal against Wimbledon in 1994, simply for its importance in the club’s status in the top-flight today.

There are hundreds to choose from, and almost every Evertonian will give you a different opinion with its own personal twist on why it means so much to them.

Here’s what some fans have gone for…

Miguel Almiron has been the centre of much debate for Newcastle over the past few days, but his latest actions for Paraguay are unlikely to do him any favours.

Some fans have been flocking to his defence after criticism of his start to the season, with the likes of Darren Bent laying into him for his performance against Manchester United, claiming that he should have done better with a first-half chance.

The winger is without a goal or assist for the club since joining in January yet has had 30 shots for the club in the league, and after getting sent off against Serbia on Thursday his luck seems to be out at the moment.

Despite that, some Magpies are pleased with the red, mistakenly thinking it means he will get a rest and avoid injury – forgetting the fact that he won’t be suspended as it occurred in a friendly.

The 25-year-old picked up two yellow cards for fouls, and his indiscipline reminded one fan of former striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who ended up scoring the winning goal for Serbia.

Here is how some Newcastle fans have been reacting to Almiron’s dismissal.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to the news that AS broke out recently, Real Madrid are seriously considering approaching Tottenham Hotspur for the services of Christian Eriksen. If that transfer does go through, it could spell trouble for Luka Modric.

What’s the word, then?

Real Madrid hunting for a midfielder is actually nothing particularly new.

Their summer tango with Paul Pogba during the last transfer window proved as much.

But Zinedine Zidane failed to get his man from Manchester United and will now seemingly turn to Spurs and their great Danish midfielder for the consolation prize.

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Still, Eriksen’s possible arrival would very much mean that there would be a new general in the middle of the park.

With the 27-year-old taking over the mantle, Modric’s reign might come to an end.

The midfield crown

Both players have seen better days at their respective clubs in the 2019/20 campaign.

Eriksen has only started five times this term and his Spurs side are struggling immensely.

Recently, they suffered a 7-2 humiliating defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League and their bad run of form has continued in the domestic league as well, where they currently sit ninth in the Premier League table.

Modric, meanwhile, has only tallied 246 minutes across all competitions but that was mostly due to his injury issues early on in the season.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Still, it wouldn’t be too big of a stretch to say that Eriksen would be directly coming for the Croat’s spot in the team. Both players are creative, brave, attacking-minded and excel at similar things.

With both of their current seasons’ stats being slightly skewed by other factors, let’s see how they fared head to head in the 2018/19 campaign.

Eriksen can definitely deliver more in terms of the final product as the 27-year-old has registered eight goals and 12 assists in the Premier League, and followed it up with 2.1 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game. He also maintained an 81% passing accuracy.

Modric can’t really keep up in terms of goals or assists – having only managed three and six respectively  – but is a far more accurate passer of the ball with 88.9% in La Liga and also with 1.6 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game.

Still, with 34 years already on his back, the Croatian is bound to move aside for the younger crop of players to take over. Of course, his legacy should not be forgotten – after all, he has a total of 41 trophies of all kind in his cabinet already.

But with all of that being said and looking strictly at the stats, Eriksen does look like a suitable replacement.

Let’s see if Real Madrid decide to pull the trigger in the end.

Newcastle’s win over Manchester United has the potential to kickstart their season but they will first have to overcome a difficult trip to Chelsea, where they have only won once in the Premier League era.

One factor which could influence their chances of success is whether Steve Bruce decides to gamble on Matty Longstaff once again.

The youngster enjoyed a brilliant debut which culminated in the winner against United, and his captain Jamaal Lascelles backed him to play more often.

He said: “The hard work has recently paid off, he’s been thrown into the deep end like his brother. What you do know is that he is a young Geordie lad who is going to roll his sleeves up and play with his heart.

“Straight after the Leicester game we needed players to be like that, he was a prime example of what you can get from that.”

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However, he still only 19 and the United match was the only game he has played in the Premier League, and against an in-form side like Chelsea, who have scored 18 goals in eight league games, he could be found out.

A disappointing display could have the result of knocking his confidence, too, and Bruce may have to take that into consideration and think about the long-term.

So, with such factors at play, we asked our FFC writer’s for their views on whether Newcastle should stick with Longstaff or not, and here’s what they said.

Matt Dawson

“In the grand scheme of things, what else can really go wrong for Newcastle? Half the time Steve Bruce simply doesn’t have a clue, something that was seen with his substitution of Jetro Willems earlier in the season and their misunderstanding.

“Therefore, if you consider the bigger picture, working out whether to play someone Like Matty Longstaff is the last of their concerns and they should just go for it.

“As skipper Jamal Lascelles has stated, they need someone like him in the team because he rolls his sleeves up. The Magpies are lacking someone with grit and determination and they could really do with a young individual like Longstaff to provide a spark.

“His brother Sean provided a sense of expectation last season when he burst onto the scene under Rafa Benitez and Matty might well be able to replicate that after his goal and solitary key pass against United. It would be harsh to drop him this weekend.”

Lewis Blain

“Matty Longstaff may well have been the best player on the park against Manchester United, picking up WhoScored’s Man of the Match award, but the fact that Newcastle only managed to record one goal against a horribly out-of-sorts team speaks volumes.

“United still have the same defensive troubles as last season – Eni Aluko alluded to it being an issue of ‘lacking leadership’, and it’s hard to disagree, epitomised by the inexperienced Axel Tuanzebe partnering Harry Maguire.

“Coming up against Chelsea will offer a different test, one that maybe will require a more experienced head such as Jonjo Shelvey. He likes a goal against them too having netted this scorcher as his first for Liverpool back in 2012. The Blues’ midfield will offer up so much more flair and guile – you only have to look at Mason Mount’s breakthrough and the trophies Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovavic have won to see that.”

Billy Meyers

“I think there’s absolutely no danger in playing him against Chelsea.
“Longstaff was arguably the star of the show against Manchester United on his Premier League debut, and while you might argue that the Red Devils aren’t a fearsome side right now, the Newcastle academy graduate had no right to play as well as he did considering how inexperienced he is – even if he put the same level of performance in against a side such as Watford, it would still have been one to be proud of.
“As mentioned, I can’t see any reason to drop him. He doesn’t appear to be the type of character to become cocky or complacent, and with his brother quite literally alongside him in the team, it feels as if Longstaff is in the perfect environment to keep playing and learning with no negative consequences.”

Kealan Hughes

“Although Longstaff has had the international break to recover from the drama of the United match, playing in a such a big environment such as Stamford Bridge may be a step too far at the current time, and not the game for him.

“Considering the Blues’ goalscoring record, Bruce will likely set-up in a defensive manner akin to the displays against Liverpool and Spurs, and he will therefore need each of his players to show discipline and concentration in order to keep things tight at the back.

“As a result, Newcastle would be better suited playing with a more experienced figure such as Jonjo Shelvey, as he will provide the composure and know-how in periods when the visitors are under pressure.”

Juventus fans have shown their love for Paulo Dybala after he scored a double in the final 15 minutes to secure a win over Lokomotiv Moscow.

Juve were 1-0 down heading into the final quarter of an hour but the Argentinian forward was able to score two goals in two minutes to make sure that they stayed top of Group D.

The Old Lady were largely dominant throughout the match, having 78 per cent possession throughout the match and having 28 shots to five (BBC).

Lokomotiv took the lead on the half-an-hour mark as Aleskei Miranchuk scored past Wojciech Szczesny.

At the halfway stage of the groups, Juventus are above Atletico Madrid only on goal difference as they beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in Madrid.

Unsurprisingly, when Paulo Dybala tweeted about the victory, fans absolutely loved the message.

Here are some of the responses…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

West Ham could do with reinvigorating their attack and the inclusion of Nathan Holland against Sheffield United would help to achieve that goal.

On the chalkboard

The Hammers have struggled for goals in recent matches, and though Manuel Pellegrini thinks more movement is required of Sebastien Haller to fix that problem, in reality there is a wider issue.

Other than Andriy Yarmolenko, his side have lacked goals from midfield, with limited service also holding the team back.

Despite that, Haller still has four goals in eight league games, but when things aren’t going well for him, or the team, they lack ideas and options to change things.

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West Ham’s bench is particularly weak, that was evidenced by Pellegrini’s substitutions failing to make any impact against Everton, so Nathan Holland’s introduction could be the solution they need.

The youngster would provide an injection of pace as well as an eye for goal, with six in the Premier League 2 so far this campaign, and that could prove crucial against the Blades.

Point to prove

Holland continues to impress for the under 23s and his involvement could provide a lift to the squad, and send a message to those in the first-team that they need to improve, or risk missing out.

Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson have come under increased scrutiny following their poor displays against Everton, with fans keen to see the latter dropped, but it would be too much to expect a 21-year-old to come into the starting line-up straight away.

Instead, he should take Robert Snodgrass’ place on the bench. Pellegrini’s dwindling use of the former Scotland international – with just one league start this season – suggests he is out of favour, and West Ham would benefit from a pacier option.

Holland could unsettle the visitors’ back five and his ability to run at defenders would create more space for Haller to operate in. He should be confident, too, after scoring two goals against Stoke U23s a few days ago, and therefore could seize on any chances that come his way.

If he gets a chance to impress he could become a useful option for the Chilean like Grady Diangana was last year, and at the very least put the senior players on their toes.

Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to express their disgust at the performance on show from their side in the 1-0 defeat to Preston on Sunday.

Lee Bowyer was making his first appearance on the touchline for a few weeks after a period in the stands, but his pitch-side presence was not enough to inspire the Addicks to a win over Alex Neil’s side, who shot to the top of the Championship with their victory.

The south Londoners had half the amount of shots as their opponents having taken eight attempts, with only one of them hitting the target. Charlton also had less possession than Preston and earned six less corners, on a day where Naby Sarr in particular was utterly woeful – something that the fans on Twitter wasted no time in pointing out.

Following the Addicks’ fifth defeat of the season, they now sit 10th with 22 points having missed the opportunity to surge into the playoff places.

Let’s take a look at what the visibly unsatisfied Charlton fans on Twitter thought of the performance…

Since Lee Bowyer stepped into the Charlton hotseat, the 42-year-old has been forced to rely heavily on loan deals with Roland Duchatelet holding a tight grip of his purse-strings at The Valley.

The Addicks boss has only spent a fee on Macauley Bonne out of the 14 players he has signed for the south London club, and whilst we assume the former Leeds midfielder would prefer to get players on a permanent basis, the loan system has been paying dividends for Bowyer.

Back in the summer, Chelsea decided to send Conor Gallagher to The Valley, while Josh Cullen re-joined the Addicks having spent last season on loan as well.

West Brom also allowed Jonathan Leko to spend the 2019/20 campaign in south London, whereas the Baggies also let Sam Field sign for the Addicks on loan.

While Field and Cullen have been solid performers, Gallagher has arguably been the standout name. The England U21 international is Charlton’s joint-top scorer with five league goals – Leko has also impressed with two goals and two assists this term.

So, which one of the loan stars should Bowyer try and sign on a permanent basis?

Billy Meyers

“If money wasn’t an object, then Bowyer should go all out to sign Gallagher from Chelsea given his huge impact so far. The Charlton boss has already said that he sees a bit of himself in the 19-year-old midfielder, and the teen looks to have all the makings of becoming a top-class talent – however, given Frank Lampard’s impressive use of his young players, it would surely take a huge offer from Charlton to prise him away. In that case, the man who makes the Addicks tick in Josh Cullen should be prioritised. 

“Head of Recruitment Steve Gallen was over the moon to bring Cullen back to The Valley in the summer, and he has once again been a key cog in the midfield as the Addicks sit 9th in the Championship – some Charlton fans on Twitter even hijacked a thread to demand his permanent arrival . If there is even a glimmer of a chance to sign him, Charlton must jump at it.”

Charles Jones

“I think that Bowyer should be looking at signing more than one of these loanees on a permanent deal, but if he were to pick just one it should be Gallagher. I’m not sure how viable signing Gallagher would be as Lampard may fancy giving him a go at Chelsea after his impressive season out on loan so far.

“However, if the Addicks can keep the midfielder at the club he would be a real asset for years to come. He’s only 19 years old, and he could develop into a fantastic player after netting five Championship goals already this term.”

VJ

“Goal-scorers are like stardust. They are very rare to find, and even harder to keep. So for Charlton to pull off the massive coup by landing Gallagher on loan in the summer has to go down as a Lee Bowyer master-stroke. What makes the 19-year-old’s exploits this season even more impressive is that he has predominantly played in holding midfield, with eight games in that position.

“Despite not being a striker, he has bagged himself five goals and provided a further two assists in the Championship, and having someone who can pop up with vital strikes from anywhere other than the front-line is invaluable. If the Addicks do one thing, then securing the permanent signing of Gallagher has to be the biggest priority.”

Kealan Hughes

“Gallagher is the obvious choice because of the goals he has contributed in a relatively short period of time, but it seems unrealistic that Bowyer would be able to persuade him into a permanent stay at the Valley.

“As a result, Cullen would be the best option. He has shown he is pivotal to Bowyer’s system by starting in all but one league match and his average of two tackles per game shows his importance to Charlton’s organised style, helping them have the eighth-best defence in the division.

“He is also useful with the ball at his feet and his 84% pass accuracy makes him a valuable player to have whether on the right of a diamond or sitting deep – the fact he is in his second loan spell at the Addicks in as many years also suggests he is highly-rated by the manager.”

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has urged his side to “fill their boots” in their clash against Partizan Belgrade on Thursday night.

What did he say?

The Red Devils have found it a struggle this season to find the back of the net, netting just 13 times in 11 Premier League games – indeed, until their 3-1 victory over Norwich at Carrow Road a couple of weeks ago, they had gone without scoring more than a single goal in a game since the 4-0 win over Chelsea in the opening fixture of the campaign.

Now, Solskjaer has called on his side to re-discover their goal-scoring touch, and insisted their Europa League match against Partizan could be the perfect opportunity to do just that.

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He said (as quoted by The Telegraph): “For one reason or another we haven’t had results (we would like). We think we should have had a few more results, but we’re on the right track. Saturday (against Bournemouth) was disappointing and now we have a chance to get two wins before the break. We were on a half-run… we couldn’t get the goal we felt we deserved early on, but we started well, the mentality was great, but we ended up disappointed.

“This is a great chance to qualify for the next round that means, in the last two games, we can try out a few things out. We want to play on the front foot and if we get an early goal (against Partizan), I want the boys to fill their boots. We need to go in search of the second and third goal, I’d rather the boys did that, even if they make mistakes.”

Famous last words

Oh Ole, did you really need to say that? The Norwegian’s intentions with his pre-match comments are understandable. He wants people to know that his team are doing everything they can to address this incredible issue of not being able to score regularly, but in reality, he has just doomed his players.

The United boss appears to have a short memory, because in their previous clash against the Serbian side, they only won thanks to an Anthony Martial penalty, and had a paltry one shot on target. Not exactly a thrashing is it? The Red Devils are now on a hiding to nothing – anything less than a comprehensive victory will be deemed as a major failure on the part of Solskjaer. A bit of confidence is always great, but only in small doses. Solskjaer’s message felt like it bordered on arrogance, and based on their season so far, he absolutely has no basis for that.

Things are once again going rather well over at the Spanish capital.

Real Madrid secured all three points last weekend as they tallied a rather impressive and dominant display on the road against Eibar.

Zinedine Zidane’s men slotted four goals past their hosts and returned home as deserved winners.

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But apart from a dominating display, one of the Los Blancos celebrated a special milestone as well.

Daniel Carvajal tallied his 250th game as one of the Galacticos and the club’s official Twitter account was quick to celebrate with him on social media.

And it didn’t really take long for many of the fans to do exactly the same, swarming the comments section with their messages of support and just general praise for their defender.

Some even called him the next captain of Real Madrid and stated he is one of the pillars of the team.

It seems that Carvajal is one of the fan favourites in the squad at the moment.

You can see some of their replies down below: